Several years ago, there was a fellow about my age that I worked with named “Tom”. Tom didn’t have an engineering degree, yet he was placed in an engineering position because management needed a body to fill that spot, and he had a degree… in something. I thought he did well, especially given his lack of formal training.

Management, however, did not.

They were on him constantly to perform, produce, and have expertise in many things an engineer should know. At some point early within his tenure, he got a prestigious job at a government entity. Once he left, the finger-pointing began… the name-calling, and why he didn’t get this done, or that done, and how he wasn’t a “good” engineer, which always bothered me because at that point, he’d never asked to be an engineer.

Recently, I had the opportunity to touch base with him. Tom, it seems, had been busy after he left us.
Tom and his wife had bought a farm, worked it, and turned it into a place for the community. It was there he and his wife planted and harvested organic vegetables, and welcomed local children for camps and work days to learn appreciation for hard work and about the farm. They renovated the old barn and turned it into a beautiful facility for weddings, photo backdrops, a meeting place, and a place where anyone could feel welcome, and learn to enjoy life a little more simply. Tom is the kind of man who would give you the shirt off his back, and at the same time, expect himself, his children, and family to work for the things they are given. His wife manages the farm and their properties, and left the corporate world to stay home with their son. Their farm reflects hard work and simple pleasures, yet is welcoming to anyone who comes.

He still has his job at the government entity, which means he did all of the renovations while he was working. Which makes me even prouder of Tom. He knew he didn’t belong there at our company, in that position, and he left when he could to make a dream come true, to live a better life. But it makes me wonder. How many people does management look at and say “he is a terrible engineer, she is a terrible chemist, or he is a horrible accountant”… how many of those are supposed to be living a dream somewhere and either haven’t found the courage to pursue it, or don’t have the means to get there? How many people are trying their best to fit their square selves into round holes, rather than finding joy in their lives as well as their careers?

Tom may have been thought of as a terrible engineer. But he is also a loving father. An excellent husband. A stellar employee for his current employer. A community pillar. A noble American. He is inspiring, hard-working, and a role model for not only his own child, but of those who visit him on field trips.

I tip my hat to you Tom, and all the other “terrible engineers” out there who left a job to find their true place in life. May you be blessed immeasurably with God’s favor, and always look forward to the endless possibilities that lie ahead. I’ll see you on that same “road less traveled” very, very soon.